Guidewire having varying diameters and method of making

ABSTRACT

A method of making a medical guidewire including providing a wire having a length that includes a proximal length and a distal length. The method further includes applying cold work to the distal length and not applying cold work to the proximal length, thereby imparting to the distal length a diameter that is smaller than the proximal length diameter; and applying a reducing process to the wire whereby the proximal length is reduced to have an outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the distal length. The proximal length has an inner diameter and the distal length has an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the proximal length.

BACKGROUND

The application relates to guidewires configured for intraluminal application in medical procedures, and methods of their manufacture. More specifically, the application relates to guidewires that possess varying properties of flexibility and torsional stiffness along their length, and methods for making them.

Guidewires have long been known and used in the art of minimally invasive medical practice. Guidewires are typically used in conjunction with catheters in a procedure under which a placement catheter may first be threaded into the vasculature of a patient to a desired location using known techniques. A lumen within the placement catheter permits the physician to insert a guidewire through the catheter to the same location. Thereafter, when the physician may need to sequentially place a second, or third, or even a fourth catheter to the same location, it is a simple matter to withdraw the catheter while leaving the guidewire in place. After this action, second, third, and fourth etc. catheters may be sequentially introduced and withdrawn over the guidewire that was left in place. In other techniques, a guidewire may be introduced into the vasculature of a patient without the assistance of a placement catheter, and once in position, catheters may be sequentially inserted over the guidewire as desired.

It is typical that best medical practice for anatomical insertion requires a guidewire that has behavioral characteristics that vary along its length. For example, under some conditions, the distal end of the guidewire may be required to be more flexible than the proximal end so that the distal end may more easily be threaded around the more tortuous distal branches of the luminal anatomy. Further, the proximal end of the guidewire may be required to have greater torsional stiffness than the distal end because, upon rotation of the guidewire, the proximal end must carry all the torsional forces that are transmitted down the length of the guidewire, including what is required to overcome cumulative frictional losses.

Finally, the distal end of a guidewire should be selectively formable, so that the treating physician may apply a curve to the tip of the guidewire in order to facilitate navigation along the tortuous passageways of the vascular anatomy. By selectively formable, it is meant that the wire from which guidewire core is made may be bent to a particular shape and that the shape will be maintained by the wire. This allows the physician to impart a particular shape to the guidewire, by bending or kinking it for example, to facilitate steering its placement into a patient's vasculature. To provide this selective formability, in typical embodiments, the entire core wire may be made of stainless steel. However, other materials may be used to provide this feature. The use of a formable material, such as stainless steel, provides advantages in the guidewire over materials that cannot be formed, such as superelastic materials like Nitinol. Superelastic materials like Nitinol are so resilient that they tend to spring back to their original shape even if bent, thus are not formable. Although superelastic material may be provided with a “preformed” memory shape, such a preformed shape is typically determined in the manufacture of the guidewire and cannot readily be altered or modified by the physician by simply bending the guidewire prior to use. It is noted that if superelastic properties are desired in a guidewire, any cold working introduced into the guidewire can be alleviated to restore the superelastic properties. Although use of superelastic materials such as Nitinol in guidewire applications may provide some advantages in certain uses, a formable core, such as of stainless steel, which can be formed by the physician to a shape suitable for a particular patient or preferred by that physician, provides an advantage that cannot be obtained with a superelastic core guidewire.

Thus, certain solutions have been developed in the prior art to address these requirements. In one typical solution, a guidewire may be fabricated by applying the same metallurgical process along the entire length of an initial ingot of uniform metallurgical properties and uniform diameter that will be converted into the guidewire. The initial ingot may be taken up and cold worked along its entire length, or annealed, or swaged, or whatever process is required to impart the desired characteristics to the metal of the final guidewire product. Once these metallurgical processes have been performed on the wire as a whole, the wire obtained from the worked ingot may be geometrically shaped in order to impart desired different flexibilities, torsional stiffnesses and the like that are desired in the final guidewire product. For example, the wire obtained from a worked ingot may be shaped by known process such as chemical washes, polishes, grinding, or compressing, to have a distal end with a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the proximal end. By this means, the distal end will be given greater flexibility but less torsional resistance than the proximal end.

In another typical solution, different pieces of wire may be formed by different processes to have different properties. These pieces of wire may then be joined or connected together into a single guidewire core using known jointing processes, to provide a resulting guidewire with varying properties along its length. For example, superelastic portion of wire made from Nitinol or similar metal, may be joined to a portion of wire that has linear elastic properties using joining methods such as welding, soldering, brazing, or covering with a jacket. These types of joints between portions of a wire having different metallurgical properties are referred to herein as “mechanical” joints.

Thus, in a core wire having this combination of a distinct and mechanically joined formable distal portion and a superelastic proximal portion, desired shapes may be imparted by a physician to the distal end of the guidewire to facilitate making turns, etc., in tortuous vessel passages, while in the same guidewire the more proximal portion would possess superelastic properties to allow it to follow the distal portion through the tortuous passages without permanently deforming.

However, problems may arise in the prior art as described. Welds and solder or braze joints are generally undesirable on a guidewire because they introduce a potential point of kinking or fracture. Furthermore, discrete steps in the gradient of a guidewire diameter that are introduced by grinding or other known means may also introduce potential points at which stress is raised to produce cracking or fracture.

Thus there is a need in the art for a system and method for a guidewire that solves the problems in the prior art. The present invention addresses these and other needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some preferred embodiments, the invention is a method for making a core metal element for a medical guidewire. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing an elongated tubular member having proximal end and a distal end, wherein a proximal section or first length separates the proximal end from the distal end, and applying cold work to the elongated tubular member through a process including any of rolling, drawing or swaging in a sequence that comprises reducing the elongated tubular member inner diameter and outer diameter of the elongated tubular member over a distal section or second length of the elongated tubular member that includes the distal end. In some embodiments the distal section or second length may be between 0.118 inch and 3.15 inch (3 mm and 80 mm). Further, in some embodiments, a first outer diameter along the proximal section or first length may be between 0.012 inch (0.305 mm) and 0.038 inch (0.965 mm), and a second outer diameter along the second length may be between 0.008 inch (0.203 mm) and 0.036 inch (0.914 mm). After these steps are complete, a reducing process may be applied to the elongated tubular member, whereby the elongated tubular member may be reduced to have a constant outer diameter over the first length and the second length and a first inner diameter between 0.010 inch (0.254 mm) and 0.036 inch (0.914 mm) and reduced second inner diameter between 0.004 inch (0.102 mm) and 0.034 inch (0.864 mm) along the second length. A method of applying a reducing process to the guidewire may comprise applying centerless grinding. In some aspects of the invention, the second length may be less than the first length, and this may apply where only the distal section of the wire is formed in the manner described. The overall length of the guidewire is well known in the art and typically is 118 inch (300 cm) for coronary artery applications, as an example. The proximal section or first length can range from 3.94 inch to 118 inch (10 cm to 300 cm).

In conjunction with the figures, there described herein a medical guidewire and a method for manufacturing a medical guidewire having features of an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the invention includes a method for forming an elongated tubular member of an embodiment according to the present invention.

In one embodiment, a guidewire is formed from an elongated tubular member. The elongated tubular member has a proximal end and a distal end. The elongated tubular member includes a proximal section or first length and a distal section or second length. In one embodiment, the proximal section is substantially longer than the distal section. Further, the elongated tubular member has an outer surface defined by a first outer diameter. After a first processing step to be further described herein, the elongated tubular member has a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter. The first outer diameter extends along the proximal section, and the second outer diameter extends along the distal section. After further processing, the elongated tubular member has a third, uniform outer diameter. The elongated tubular member has a first inner diameter. After processing, the elongated tubular member has a first inner diameter associated with the proximal section, and a second inner diameter associated with the distal section. The second inner diameter is smaller than the first inner diameter.

In another embodiment, a guidewire is formed from an elongated tubular member. The elongated tubular member has a proximal end and a distal end. The elongated tubular member includes a proximal section or first length and a distal section or second length. In one embodiment, the proximal section is substantially longer than the distal section. Further, the elongated tubular member has an outer surface defined by a first outer diameter. After a first processing step to be further described herein, the elongated tubular member has a first outer diameter and a second outer diameter. The first outer diameter extends along the proximal section, and the second outer diameter extends along the distal section. After further processing, the elongated tubular member has a third, uniform outer diameter. The elongated tubular member has a first inner diameter. After processing, the elongated tubular member has a first inner diameter associated with the proximal section, and a second inner diameter associated with the distal section. The second inner diameter is smaller than the first inner diameter. In this embodiment, the elongated tubular member has a plurality of coils cut into the distal section. Preferably, the coils are laser cut into the distal section of the elongated tubular member. The coils have a rectangular cross-section which provide a high degree of torque to the distal section of the elongated tubular member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic side view of an elongated tubular member in a first condition in the process of preparation for use according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 1B-1B of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3A is a schematic side view of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 1A in a second condition in the process of preparation for use according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 3B-3B along a proximal section of the elongated tubular member.

FIG. 3C is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 3C-3C along a distal section of the elongated tubular member.

FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of the elongated tubular member in a third condition in the process of preparation for use according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 4B-4B along a proximal section of the elongated tubular member.

FIG. 4C is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 4C-4C along a distal section of the elongated tubular member.

FIG. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the elongated tubular member depicted in FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6A is a schematic side view of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6B is a schematic side view of the distal end of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 5 depicting the rectangular cross-section of the coils.

FIG. 7A is a schematic side view of an elongated tubular member in a first condition in the process of preparation for use according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 7B-7B of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 9A is a schematic side view of the elongated tubular member of FIG. 7A in a second condition in the process of preparation for use according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 9B-9B along a proximal section of the elongated tubular member.

FIG. 9C is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 9C-9C along a distal section of the elongated tubular member.

FIG. 10 is a schematic image, front elevation, of a known rotary swaging machine, shown in a first condition with dies open.

FIG. 11 is a schematic image, front elevation, of the swaging machines of FIG. 10 , shown in a second condition with dies closed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the embodiments disclosed herein, a novel and advantageous method may be used of applying cold work to an elongated tubular member through a rotary swaging process. A particularly useful application for this aspect of the invention is intended to enhance the utility of guidewires by making the most distal section of a guidewire tip more “shapeable” than its remainder. Doing so makes it easier for the user to produce an extremely short or “micro”-J or -L shape at the very tip, and also enables the user to produce an overall tip shape with varying curvature. In the latter situation, the imparted curvature would generally be more extreme at the very tip and less extreme but more durable elsewhere along the guidewire tip. Further processing results in a distal section of the guidewire being highly flexible while maintaining a high degree of torque for navigating tortuous coronary arteries and other vessels.

In conjunction with the figures, described herein is a medical guidewire and a method for manufacturing a medical guidewire having features of an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments, the invention includes a method for forming an elongated tubular member of an embodiment according to the present invention.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1A-5 , a guidewire 10 is formed from an elongated tubular member 12. The elongated tubular member has a proximal end 14 and a distal end 16. The elongated tubular member 12 includes a proximal section or first length 18 and a distal section or second length 20. In one embodiment, the proximal section 18 is substantially longer than the distal section 20. Further, the elongated tubular member 12 has an outer surface 22 defined by a first outer diameter 24 as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. After a first processing step to be further described herein, the elongated tubular member has a first outer diameter 24 and a second outer diameter 26. The first outer diameter 24 extends along the proximal section 18, and the second outer diameter 26 extends along the distal section 20, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. After further processing, the elongated tubular member 12 has a third, uniform outer diameter 28 as shown in FIGS. 4A-5 . In FIGS. 1A-2 , the elongated tubular member has a first inner diameter 30. After processing, as shown in FIGS. 3A-5 , the elongated tubular member 12 has a first inner diameter 30 associated with the proximal section 18, and a second inner diameter 32 associated with the distal section 20. The second inner diameter 32 is smaller than the first inner diameter 30.

In another embodiment, a guidewire 10 is formed from an elongated tubular member 12. The elongated tubular member has a proximal end 14 and a distal end 16. The elongated tubular member 12 includes a proximal section or first length 18 and a distal section 20 or second length 20. In one embodiment, the proximal section 18 is substantially longer than the distal section 20. Further, the elongated tubular member 12 has an outer surface 22 defined by a first outer diameter 24 as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. After a first processing step to be further described herein, the elongated tubular member has a first outer diameter 24 and a second outer diameter 26. The first outer diameter 24 extends along the proximal section 18, and the second outer diameter 26 extends along the distal section 20, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. After further processing, the elongated tubular member 12 has a third, uniform outer diameter 28 as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C. In FIGS. 1A-2 , the elongated tubular member has a first inner diameter 30. After processing, as shown in FIGS. 3A-5 , the elongated tubular member 12 has a first inner diameter 30 associated with the proximal section 18, and a second inner diameter 32 associated with the distal section 20. The second inner diameter 32 is smaller than the first inner diameter 30. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, the elongated tubular member 12 is further processed by cutting a plurality of coils 34 into the distal section 20. Preferably, the coils 34 are laser cut into the distal section 20 of the elongated tubular member 12. The coils 34 have a rectangular cross-section 36 which provides a high degree of torque to the distal section 20 of the elongated tubular member 12. The coils 34 provide a high degree of flexibility along the distal section 20 and are shapeable by the physician into a micro-J or L-shape as desired. In another embodiment, the coils 34 are laser cut in a portion of the proximal section 18 and all of the distal section 20. In another embodiment, the coils 34 are laser cut in all of the proximal section 18 and all of the distal section 20. The pitch of the coils and the thickness of the rectangular cross-section 36 can be varied to optimize flexibility and torque transmission, especially in the distal section 20.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A-9C, a guidewire 40 is formed from an elongated tubular member 42. The elongated tubular member has a proximal end 44 and a distal end 46. The elongated tubular member 42 includes a proximal section or first length 48 and a distal section 50 or second length. In one embodiment, the proximal section 48 is substantially longer than the distal section 50. Further, the elongated tubular member 42 has an outer surface 52 defined by a first outer diameter 54 as shown in FIGS. 7A-7C. After a first processing step to be further described herein, the elongated tubular member has a first outer diameter 54 and a second outer diameter 56. The first outer diameter 54 extends along the proximal section 48, and the second outer diameter 56 extends along the distal section 50, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9C. In FIGS. 7A-8 , the elongated tubular member 42 has a first inner diameter 60. After processing, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9C, the elongated tubular member 52 has a first inner diameter 60 associated with the proximal section 48, and a second inner diameter 62 associated with the distal section 50. The second inner diameter 62 is smaller than the first inner diameter 60. A short tapered section 64 provides a gradual transaction from the proximal section 48 to the distal section 50.

As described in FIGS. 1A-9C, the guidewire has an elongated tubular member that undergoes a first manufacturing process to reduce the inner and outer diameters of the distal section of the elongated tubular member. More specifically, the distal section 20, 50 of the elongated tubular member 12, 42 is physically altered by mechanical means including rolling, drawing, or swaging, to reduce the outer diameter of the distal section and by default, reduce the inner diameter as well. Thus, by swaging the distal section 20, 50, the first outer diameter 24, 54 of the elongated tubular member 12, 42 is reduced to form the second outer diameter 26, 56 and the second inner diameter 32, 62 in the distal section 20, 50. The swaging process will induce cold work into the material which can be tightly controlled and utilized to provide specific material properties that can affect flexibility and torque in the elongated tubular member 12, 42, and specifically in the distal section 20, 50.

With respect to all of the disclosed embodiments, in the event only an inner diameter reduction is required, the elongated tubular member 12 starts out with a larger inner and outer diameter (thicker wall) than desired, and the aforementioned reduction operation performed. Once the reduction (e.g., swaging) is complete, the elongated tubular member 12 would be further processed by centerless grinding the first outer diameter 24 to be the same as the second outer diameter 26, thereby forming a third, uniform outer diameter along the entire length of the elongated tubular member 12. The completed tubing would then possess the first inner diameter 30 along the proximal section 18 and the reduced, second inner diameter 32 along the distal section 20, and still maintain the desired thicker wall. If the coils 34 are formed in the distal section using a laser, the rectangular cross-section of the coils will also be thicker to provide better torque transfer and eliminate the need for an inner coil typically used as a “filler” to better follow the contour of the ground inner core, occupying the empty space, and maintain concentricity between the coil and core.

In some embodiments the distal section or second length may be between 0.118 inch and 3.15 inch (3 mm and 80 mm). Further, in some embodiments, after applying the mechanical process (i.e., swaging), a first outer diameter along the proximal section or first length may be between 0.012 inch and 0.038 inch (0.305 mm and 0.965 mm), and a second outer diameter along the second length may be between 0.008 inch and 0.036 inch (0.203 mm and 0.914 mm). After these steps are complete, a reducing process (i.e., centerless grinding) may be applied to the elongated tubular member, whereby the elongated tubular member may be reduced to have a uniform outer diameter over the first length and the second length between 0.008 inch and 0.036 inch (0.203 mm and 0.914 mm), and a first inner diameter between 0.010 inch and 0.036 inch (0.254 inch and 0.914 mm) and reduced second inner diameter between 0.004 inch and 0.034 inch (0.102 mm and 0.864 mm) along the second length. A method of applying a reducing process to the guidewire may comprise applying centerless grinding. In some aspects of the invention, the second length may be less than the first length, and this may apply where only the distal section of the wire is formed in the manner described. The overall length of the guidewire is well known in the art and typically is 118 inch (300 cm) for coronary artery applications, as an example. The proximal section or first length can range from 3.94 inch to 118 inch (10 cm to 300 cm).

The foregoing processes are described for elongated tubular members formed from metallic materials which are well known in the art. These processes can be used for other materials as well, such as polymers.

The swaging process can be performed by rotary swaging machines which known in the art, and are generally described here with reference to FIGS. 10-11 . These figures show the principle of operation of a classical rotary swager 200.

A rotary swager 200 comprises a head cylinder 201 which is fixed to a mounting (not shown). A cylindrical spindle 204 is provided and is configured to be rotated (by motor, not shown) on an axis which is co-axial with that of the head cylinder 201. The spindle is provided with linear slots 210 aligned radially, in order to hold a plurality of backers 203 and dies 205. Both backers and dies are configured to slide within the slots 210.

A special bearing system is provided, and is positioned between the head 201 and the spindle 204. The bearing system comprises a support 212 which is cylindrical in profile, but contains a plurality of openings sized to receive rollers 202 which are cylindrical. The rollers have a diameter that is slightly larger than the radial thickness of the cylindrical support 212. As may be envisaged with reference to FIGS. 10-11 , as the spindle 204 rotates within the head cylinder 201, the backers 203 are passed over the rollers 202. It will be appreciated that, due to the larger diameter of the rollers, the rollers will impart a radially inward blow to the backers 203 as the backers rotate past the rollers. This blow will, in turn, pass a radially inward blow to the dies 205.

By this mechanism a series of radially inward simultaneous blows are provided to the dies 205, so that the dies advance to a closed condition, shown in FIG. 11 , over the workpiece (not shown in FIGS. 10-11 ) to impart cold work to the workpiece and to form the material. When the backers 203 are located between two roller positions, centrifugal forces will move the backers (and hence also the dies) radially outward so that the dies assume an open condition as shown in FIG. 10 . The operation continues a number of times and the result is a reduced round cross section of the workpiece which may be a tube, bar or wire. The dies 205 define an inwardly facing circular surface having a set diameter which is selected to suit a workpiece to be fed through the swager and coaxially with the swager. As seen in FIG. 11 , the circular surface may be closed in a full continuous circle when the dies are forced to a closed position, but when the dies are open as seen in FIG. 10 , the dies form a discontinuous circular surface. However, when a workpiece is positioned inside the dies, the dies will naturally not form a full continuous circular surface when they are closed, because the workpiece will be selected to be larger than the diameter of the inwardly facing surface.

The embodiments described provide an advantageous system and method for manufacturing a medical guidewire core. The resulting guidewire has the advantageous feature of providing for a malleable distal tip, allowing a surgeon to fashion a shape selected to fit the problem confronted. Yet at the same time, the method of fabrication is simple, it requires no welding or joining techniques, and provides a wire that is not susceptible to cracking. The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims that follow. 

1.-21. (canceled)
 22. A guidewire, comprising: an elongated tubular member having a lumen extending from a proximal end to a distal end; a proximal section and a distal section; an uniform outer diameter extending along the proximal section and the distal section; the proximal section having a first inner diameter and the distal section having a second inner diameter less than the first inner diameter; and at least a portion of the distal section having coils.
 23. The guidewire of claim 22, wherein the coils have a rectangular cross-section.
 24. The guidewire of claim 22, wherein the proximal section is longer than the distal section.
 25. The guidewire of claim 22, wherein the distal section is more flexible than the proximal section.
 26. The guidewire of claim 22, wherein the proximal section has a length in a range from 3.94 inches to 70.87 inches and the distal section has a length in range from 0.63 inches to 3.15 inches. 